Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

[Mike M.]

Okay, last Saturday I brought home a Marshall DSL 50 head to try out and I've still got about 5 days to make up my mind about it. I still have some lingering doubts about it and maybe those of you who are familiar with this amp can guide me. The one thing I noticed while trying it at the store (thru a 4x12 cabinet) and at home (thru a 1x12 cabinet) is how trebley this amp is. I tried the amp thru a variety of speakers that I have and got the best results with an Eminance Cannibus Rex, which is a hemp-coned speaker and it really helped calm the high end. But it's still a bit much. When I turn the treble to 0 it's as muddy as it gets, but then when I turn the treble to about maybe 2 you'd think I turned it to about 8. The only way I can calm the treble down is to hook up my EQ pedal into the loop with the far right slider all the way down, the next one a bit further up, etc. I don't think I should have to do this, ya know?
So, is this typical of the DSL 50 heads? Excessive treble? If so does anybody know of a way to calm it down to a more normal, usable level? This is the first Marshall that I've had the chance to try out at lenght so I'm still rather unfamiliar with them. The amp works fine and is dead quiet when on, just rather trebley. Any and all info would be extreamley helpful. Thanks.

[ConquerALL]

Re: Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

Well I don't own a DSL but maybe I can still help. If you're not against spending some more money and trying things out, maybe try new tubes. Go to eurotubes.com and email Bob. Tell him the sound that you are looking for and I am sure he'll have no problem fixing you up. He is a great guy to work with. He really knows what he's talking about.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

My biggest complaint about the DSL 50 is that the bass boost makes the OD channel sound nice and fat, but it muddies up the clean channel. They should have designed it so the clean channel is unaffected when the bass boost is on. As for treble, it was designed to be used with a Marshall 4-12, so other cabs may not have enough bass to counteract the treble.

[RGN]

Re: Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

I have a DSL 50. It really sounds good with a 4X12 w/12/75s. I don't like it that much with Vintage 30s. It does have a lot of treble but it is manageable. Back down the treble a bit and it will warm up. I'd post my settings but I honestly have the DSL 50 stored away in a box right now. Give it a little time. When I swtiched to my VHT head I didn't think it had enough treble b/c I was used to the DSL 50. I still think the DSL 50 is a great head by the way... it is great for rock but wouldn't be my first choice for jazz or country!

[Mike M.]

Re: Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

Thanks for the input, folks. I've read that most new amps are biased pretty cold from the factory. Could this possibly be the case with the DSL 50? That if biased properly it might not be so trebley? Again, even thru a 4x12 cabinet at the store that's the one thing I noticed right off the bat. But I do like the basic vibe of the amp a lot. If the treble can be tamed a bit it would be perfect for me.

[Buckeyedog]

Re: Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

I had one for a while and while I dug it, it was very trebly. It's really easy to bias it with a multimeter so I'd highly recommend that first. Second, I tried some lower gain tubes especially in the PI slot. A Jan/GE 5751 worked great....smoothed it out some. You can also experiment with a lower gain tube in V1 as well. I did have to run the treble pretty low but it was better with correct bias and lower gain tubes. These were designed to go with the Gt75 speakers as well. I know it gets loud, but try raising the master higher and lower the pre amp gain and us it as a volume. Good Luck.

[LesPaulRules]

Re: Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

I've been using a DSL 50 for about two years now, and agree that they can be a little bright sounding.
My solution, which is the same solution I use for most master volume amps is to turn up the master volume. This takes away the bright spikey tone of these, making them very punchy and full sounding.

The volume is a problem for most (myself included). That's where a THD Hotplate saves the day. Dial that baby to cut 8db's, turn up the master half way... and smile at the sound you never knew existed in these things.

[Buckeyedog]

Re: Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

Plus you may want to try the Eminence Man O War. Modeled after the 75 and it's a killer speaker. I've got a Man O War/Governor 212 and it flat rocks!!

[MikeS]

Re: Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

What kind of cabs have you been trying? When I had my DSL50 paired with a sealed 4x12 the thing rocked, even at lower volumes. Then I got a 2x12 and a hotplate and the treble went through the roof. Next step is a sealed 16 ohm 4x12. Also play with knobs, and if recording, mic placement.

I must say, though, that to get a decent recorded sound out of the 2x12 we had to place the mic off axis and about 4 feet from the cab. The tone was pretty cool, but was very distant.

[mr breaker]

Re: Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

I have a 100 watt version, I play through a 1960A cab with V30's. I get some sweet tones out of it, but it definitely has a pronounced high end to it.

I am also playing with a SG, so that may even amplify the treble in my situation. I'm in search of an ecstasy classic to cure the problem.

[Mike M.]

Re: Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

Thanks again, guys. Yeah, I'm still experimenting with the amp. I tried it out with a variety of speakers that I have and so far the speaker that seems to work best for helping to calm the highs is the 16 ohm Eminance Cannibus Rex. I've got it in a 2x12 cabinet that I made but tonight I'm going to put it into a 1x12 cab that I have to see how that works. That 1x12 has a very heafty sound to it also. As I mentioned I can calm it all down with the EQ into the loop but I'm trying to avoid this if at all possible. But I do dig the vibe of the amp and the ability to go from the classic crunch channel to the 2nd gain channel. And I do have it hooked up to an attenuator also. That's a must with this sucker!

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Need advice from DSL 50 owners.

wait wait wait wait wait...HEMP speakers?

and they tame high-end, you say?

thanks for the inadvertant help buddy.



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